


Sleep It Off

by darkershadesworktoo



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Chekov is stressed out, Chulu if you want, No Chulu if you want, Sassy Chekov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 21:48:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9143554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkershadesworktoo/pseuds/darkershadesworktoo
Summary: Chekov doesn't like being treated like a child, but when he is called out for beginning to doze off while on duty, he throws a little tantrum.





	

Chekov was the youngest on the Enterprise, so he was always trying to prove himself to the others. He would take double shifts on the bridge so that nobody would think he was weak. Even though Sulu was constantly telling him nobody thought poorly of him, but Chekov just wanted to make sure. This is how he found himself overly exhausted during his Alpha shift. It didn’t start off too terribly. Chekov was already at his seat when everyone came in, and while he definitely looked exhausted, he was still functioning.  
“You took the beta, gamma, and night shifts, didn’t you?” Sulu asked as he took his seat. Chekov glanced over and shrugged. His eyes were lined with dark bags, and his skin was pale and clammy. He looked like he could collapse at any second, but Sulu didn’t say anything about it. He’d seen Chekov overworked before, and the young navigator always seemed to pull through.  
“Ze other navigators are ill,” Chekov explained, accent heavy throughout. Sulu had learned during their time at the helm together that Chekov’s accent got thicker when he was tired or sick. Sulu only nodded in agreement, making a mental note to keep an eye on Chekov during the shift.  
For the first hour or so, the shift was uneventful. Chekov managed to keep his eyes open, though he slouched in his seat, and his voice and movements lacked their usual pep. He was too busy thinking. If he skipped lunch, he could get about an hour of sleep before going down to work with Scotty. At least, assuming the Beta navigator was feeling better. If he wasn’t, Chekov could check with the other navigators to see if anyone could cover the shift. Worst come to worst, Chekov began to calculate how long it would take the caffeine in a cup of coffee to begin energizing him. If he got it thirty minutes before the end of Alpha shift, he would start to feel the effects around when the shifts changed. Then he’d have approximately three hours before he started to crash. So sometime before then he’d need a sugary snack, just to keep him awake.  
“Pavel, wake up!” Sulu hissed in a whisper, sending a sharp kick to Chekov’s leg. Chekov jolted up, head snapping back in surprise. Since when had they left the planet’s orbit? Had Chekov fallen asleep? He turned to Sulu for answers, but the pilot only sighed and rose to his feet.  
“Captain,” Sulu called, turning to face Kirk, who was deep in a conversation with Spock and completely oblivious to Chekov’s nap. They stopped abruptly and turned to face Sulu.  
“Yes, Mr. Sulu?” Kirk answered, eyebrow cocked in question. It wasn’t common for Sulu to interrupt him, but when he did, it was almost always serious. And the pilot looked concerned.  
“Ensign Chekov needs to be excused from duty,” Sulu explained. “He has worked the past five shifts straight, and it is dangerous for someone so sleep-deprived to be navigating a starship. In fact, I only just woke him up from a nap.”  
“Ensign, is Lieutenant Sulu informing us correctly?” Spock asked Chekov, whose face turned bright red. He didn’t like this attention. He’d rather just set their course and wait for something interesting to happen. Perhaps read up on some of the engineering books Mr. Scott gave him. Oh! He had forgotten to go down there yesterday for his lesson. Hopefully, Scotty could forgive him. Maybe he could excuse himself to the bathroom right before the shift change so that he could use the time to apologize to Mr. Scott. He hated to think he had let the engineer down.  
“Mr. Chekov, Mr. Spock has asked you a question,” Kirk noted with a frown. Chekov snapped himself from his thoughts and realized everyone on the bridge was staring at him. How long had he been zoning out? He looked around briefly and spotted concern on everyone’s faces. He hated it when people looked at him like that. It made him feel like a child, and falling asleep on the bridge only strengthened that feeling.  
“Er, yes, Keptin, it is true,” Chekov admitted finally, avoiding eye contact by staring at the floor. “But I am still fit for duty! I have gone longer before; this is nothing.”  
“Right,” Kirk muttered to himself as he thought about what to do. “Well, go down to medical and let Dr. McCoy check you out and warn you about the dangers of sleep deprivation. Then get some sleep. You’re excused for the rest of the day.”  
That was the worst thing Chekov could hear. He was being treated like an incompetent child. He could handle a little tiredness. He even had his plan all figured out. He could sense the sympathetic looks everyone was giving him like he was too young to take care of himself. He was sure Kirk had stayed up for days on end to ensure the Enterprise’s safety. How was this different? Just because he was younger than everyone else didn’t make him weaker.  
“Sir, I’m perfectly capable-” Chekov began to argue.  
“This isn’t up for debate, Mr. Chekov,” Kirk snapped. He wouldn’t be responsible for Chekov’s injuries or health problems if he didn’t get enough sleep. Plus, he couldn’t very well have his navigator falling asleep at the helm. What if they veered into an asteroid? Besides, Kirk had experienced firsthand the effects of sleep deprivation. Bones hadn’t let him leave the sickbay for days after he fell asleep on the bridge.  
“Sir, ze other shifts’ navigators are down with the flu. I need to work in case something happens! An inexperienced ensign would hurt the Enterprise more than a tired alpha navigator.” Chekov’s heart pounded in his chest. Everyone was still staring at him. He was making a scene, but the idea of being a spectacle only enraged Chekov’s poor, exhausted mind even further.  
“There are plenty of competent crewmen on this ship, ensign.” Kirk took a step forward, daring Chekov to say anything else. This was a warning, but Chekov didn’t care, or perhaps he was just too tired to understand what the movement meant.  
“And I am one of them, sir!” Chekov knew he was raising his voice, knew he was stepping out of line and bordering on insubordination, but dammit he would be stubborn. This was his job, and nobody could do it better. He was tired, and he knew he needed to rest, but he wasn’t going to give in that easily. If he wanted to be excused from duty, he would’ve asked the captain himself. He took a wide step toward the captain, challenging Kirk’s words and fists. A challenge he would surely lose.  
“Pavel!” Sulu warned, trying to pull Chekov away.  
“Ensign, you have one more chance to get off this bridge and get some rest before I have you forcibly removed,” Kirk hissed, temper flaring. He hated insubordination, and even though he knew it was Chekov’s exhaustion speaking, he still refused to be embarrassed in front of his crew.  
“Then you’ll have to force me, sir, because I-!” Chekov was silenced immediately by Spock, who administered a Vulcan nerve pinch. Chekov’s body went rigid for a moment before he went limp. Spock held him and slowly lowered him to the ground.  
“Mr. Sulu, please take Mr. Chekov down to the sickbay. Inform Dr. McCoy of the situation and report back for duty,” Kirk decided after regaining his composure. Sulu nodded and lifted Chekov easily in his hands.

 

Chekov was allowed back on the bridge two days later, after getting a lecture from McCoy about the importance of food and sleep. Apparently, Chekov hadn’t eaten much more than an apple during those five shifts. McCoy would monitor Chekov’s eating patterns for a week, and he was put on bedrest for two days. Chekov spent most of the time sulking and reading his engineering books, but he managed to catch up on his sleep too.  
Even though Chekov was allowed to return to work, he suddenly found himself dreading the idea. He hadn’t spoken to Kirk since the incident, and he was worried he’d get kicked off the bridge when he returned. He decided his best chance was to apologize to Kirk before reporting for duty. That way he could get the embarrassment over with as soon as possible.

 

“Keptin? May I speak with you, sir?” Chekov asked feebly as he stood outside Kirk’s quarters. Kirk smiled and opened the door for the navigator, letting him shuffle in nervously.  
“Sir, I vould like to apologize for my behavior on ze bridge,” Chekov started. “I know it is no excuse, but I was very tired, sir. I worked five shifts straight, so my brain was not working correctly. Doktor McCoy ordered me to rest for the past two days, and that behavior will not happen again. I understand that you must file a report for my insubordination, but I am still very sorry, sir.”  
“Don’t worry about it, Chekov. We’ve all had days like that. And don’t worry about the report. It seems Mr. Spock and I have both misplaced our files for reports on insubordination. I guess you’ll just have to stay as our navigator for now.”  
“Keptin…” Chekov wasn’t sure how to reply. The captain was forgiving him. He had expected a long speech, a written citation, and a removal from the bridge. But the captain, he didn’t seem mad. Chekov stepped forward and pulled Kirk into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around his captain’s waist.  
“Thank you, Keptin,” Chekov sniffled, eyes watering. The Enterprise was his home, and the crew was his family. His family that would never abandon him, even if he made stupid mistakes.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story for Star Trek, so I hope you guys like it! I have a few more I'm working on. They're all one-shots, because I suck at writing people like Spock and McCoy, so I try to just avoid it. Anyway, tell me what you guys think and feel free to share this wherever, just please give me credit!


End file.
